Routing data in an integrated access and backhaul network

Abstract

A method for processing data packets at an integrated access and backhaul, IAB, node of an IAB network comprising a plurality of IAB nodes is disclosed. The method comprises receiving a data packet including a destination address of a destination IAB node for the data packet and a path identifier identifying a routing path for the data packet to the destination IAB node; determining, based on the received data packet, whether the routing path of the received data packet includes at least one IAB node of a different IAB network; in response to determining that the routing path of the received data packet includes at least one IAB node of a different IAB network, using the path identifier of the received data packet to determine whether there is a next IAB node in the routing path for routing the data packet. When a next IAB node is determined, the data packet is routed to the next IAB node.

1 . A method for processing data packets at an integrated access and backhaul, IAB, node of an IAB network comprising a plurality of IAB nodes, the method comprising:
 receiving a data packet including a destination address of a destination IAB node for the data packet and a path identifier identifying a routing path for the data packet to the destination IAB node;   determining, based on the received data packet, whether the routing path of the received data packet includes at least one IAB node of a different IAB network;   in response to determining that the routing path of the received data packet includes at least one IAB node of a different IAB network, using the path identifier of the received data packet to determine whether there is a next IAB node in the routing path for routing the data packet,   when a next IAB node is determined, routing the data packet to the next IAB node.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the destination address of the received data packet is not used to determine whether there is a next IAB node for routing the data packet. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving configuration information including a routing configuration table, each entry of the routing configuration table having a destination address field for an address of an IAB node and a path identifier field for a path identifier of a routing path to the IAB node,
 wherein determining whether there is a next IAB node for routing the data packet using the path identifier of the received data packet comprises comparing the path identifier of the received data packet with the path identifier field of the routing configuration table,   when the path identifier of the received data packet matches a path identifier in the path identifier field, determining there is a next IAB node.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein when the path identifier of the received data packet does not match a path identifier in the path identifier field, determining there is not a next IAB node,
 wherein the method further comprises comparing the destination address of the received data packet with an address assigned to the IAB node, and when the destination address of the received data packet matches the address assigned to the IAB node, determining the IAB node is the destination IAB node.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving configuration information including a routing configuration table, each entry of the routing configuration table having a destination address field for an address of an IAB node and a path identifier field for a path identifier of a routing path to the IAB node,
 wherein determining whether there is a next IAB node for routing the data packet using the path identifier of the received data packet comprises comparing the path identifier of the received data packet with the path identifier field of the routing configuration table,   when the path identifier of the received data packet matches a path identifier in the path identifier field of an entry in the routing configuration table and when an address assigned to the IAB node does not match the address of the IAB node in the destination address field of the entry, determining there is a next IAB node.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein when the path identifier of the received data packet matches a path identifier in the path identifier field of an entry in the routing configuration table and when the destination address of the received data packet matches the address of the IAB node and the address in the destination address field of the entry, determining there is not a next IAB node and the IAB node is the destination IAB node. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining whether the routing path of the received data packet includes at least one IAB node of a different IAB network comprises determining, based on the path identifier of the received data packet, whether the routing path of the received data packet includes at least one IAB node of a different IAB network. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein one or more path identifier values of a plurality of path identifier values are assigned to represent one or more transit path identifiers, each one of the one or more path identifier values representing a respective transit path identifier identifying a transit path, wherein a transit path is a routing path including at least one IAB node of a different IAB network. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising: receiving, from a donor Central Unit of the IAB network, routing configuration information indicating the one or more path identifier values assigned to the one or more transit path identifiers. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the routing configuration information includes a transit configuration table, each entry in the transit configuration table including a transit path identifier field for one of the one or more path identifier values assigned to represent the one or more transit path identifiers. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein each entry of the transit table further includes a target IAB information field for indicating whether the destination IAB node for a data packet routed using the transit path identified by the transit path identifier in the transit path identifier field of the entry is in the IAB network of the IAB node or if the destination IAB node is part of a different IAB network. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein determining whether the routing path of the received data packet is a transit path comprises comparing the path identifier of the received data packet with the one or more path identifier values and when the path identifier matches one of the one or more path identifier values, determining that the routing path of the received data packet is a transit path. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein each entry of the routing configuration table further includes a transit path field for indicating whether the path identifier in the path identifier field is a transit path identifier identifying a transit path, wherein a transit path is a routing path including at least one IAB node of a different IAB network. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein determining whether the routing path of the received data packet is a transit path comprises comparing the path identifier of the received data packet with the path identifier field of the routing configuration table, and when the path identifier of the received packet matches a path identifier in the path identifier field of an entry with a value in the transit path field indicating the path identifier is a transit path identifier, determining that the routing path of the received data packet is a transit path. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the data packet comprises a header including the path identifier and at least one bit configured to indicate whether the path identifier of the data packet is a transit path identifier identifying a transit path, wherein a transit path is a routing path including at least one IAB node of a different IAB network. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the header includes a path identifier field for the path identifier of the data packet, wherein the at least one bit is at least one bit of the path identifier field or wherein the at least one bit is at least one reserved bit of the header. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the IAB node is capable of routing data packets to one or more IAB nodes in the IAB network of the IAB node and to one or more IAB nodes in at least one different IAB network. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the IAB node is assigned a first unique address for use by the IAB network of the IAB node and a second unique address for use by the at least one different IAB network. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising sending a notification to a donor Central Unit, CU, of the IAB network, indicating the IAB node is capable of routing data packets to one or more IAB nodes in the at least one different IAB network. 
     
     
         20 . A method for managing processing of data packets in a first integrated access and backhaul, IAB, network comprising a donor Central Unit, CU and a plurality of IAB nodes, each IAB node being assigned a unique address, the method at the donor CU comprising:
 determining one or more transit paths corresponding to routing paths for routing data packets over the first IAB network and a second IAB network;   providing, to at least one IAB node of each transit path of the one or more transit paths, routing configuration information relating to the determined one or more transit paths corresponding to routing paths for routing data packets over at least the at least one IAB node of the first IAB network and at least one IAB node in the second IAB network, wherein the routing configuration information includes information for indicating one or more path identifier values assigned to represent one or more transit path identifiers, each one of the one or more path identifier values representing a respective transmit path identifier identifying a transit path.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 receiving, from one IAB node of the plurality of IAB nodes, a notification indicating the IAB node is capable of routing data packets to one or more IAB nodes in the second IAB network;   sending, to a second donor CU of the second IAB network, an offload notification to establish the one or more transit paths, the notification including information relating to the one or more IAB nodes in the second IAB network;   receiving, from the second donor CU, information identifying one or more transit paths corresponding to routing paths for routing data packets over at least the IAB node of the first IAB network and at least one IAB node in the second IAB network,   wherein determining one or more transit paths corresponding to routing paths for routing data packets over the first IAB network and a second IAB network comprises determining one or more transit paths using the received information identifying one or more transit paths.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 receiving, from one IAB node of the plurality of IAB nodes, a notification indicating the IAB node is capable of routing data packets to one or more IAB nodes in the second IAB network;   sending, to a second donor CU of the second IAB network, an offload notification to establish the one or more transit paths;   receiving, from the second donor CU, information relating to one or more possible transit paths corresponding to possible routing paths for routing data packets over at least the IAB node of the first IAB network and at least one IAB node in the second IAB network;   wherein determining one or more transit paths corresponding to routing paths for routing data packets over the first IAB network and a second IAB network comprises determining one or more transit paths using the received information relating to one or more possible transit paths, the method further comprising:   sending, to the second donor CU, information identifying the determined one or more transit paths corresponding to routing paths for routing data packets over at least the IAB node of the first IAB network and at least one IAB node in the second IAB network.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the offload notification further includes information identifying routing paths currently in use for data packets over the first IAB network and/or information identifying possible one or more transit paths. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein one or more path identifier values of a plurality of path identifier values are assigned to represent one or more transit path identifiers, each one of the one or more path identifier values representing a respective transit path identifier identifying a transit path,
 wherein the routing configuration information includes:   a routing configuration table, each entry of the routing configuration table having a destination address field for an address of an IAB node and a path identifier field for a path identifier of a routing path to the IAB node;   path identifier information indicating the one or more path identifier values assigned to the one or more transit path identifiers.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the path identifier information includes a transit configuration table, each entry in the transit configuration table including a transit path identifier field for one of the one or more path identifier values assigned to represent the one or more transit path identifiers. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein each entry of the transit table further includes a target IAB information field for indicating whether the destination IAB node for a data packet routed using the transit path identified by the transit path identifier in the transit path identifier field of the entry is in the IAB network of the IAB node or if the destination IAB node is part of a different IAB network. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the routing configuration information includes:
 a routing configuration table, each entry of the routing configuration table having a destination address field for an address of an IAB node, a path identifier field for a path identifier of a routing path to the IAB node and a transit path field for indicating whether the path identifier in the path identifier field is a transit path identifier identifying a transit path.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein each entry of the routing configuration table further includes a next-hop address field for the unique address of a node in the IAB network that is a next node in the routing path. 
     
     
         29 . Apparatus for an Integrated access and backhaul, IAB, node for an IAB network comprising a plurality of IAB nodes, the apparatus comprising:
 at least one processor configured to:
 receive a data packet including a destination address of a destination IAB node for the data packet and a path identifier identifying a routing path for the data packet to the destination IAB node; 
 determine, based on the received data packet, whether the routing path of the received data packet includes at least one IAB node of a different IAB network; 
 in response to determining that the routing path of the received data packet includes at least one IAB node of a different IAB network, use the path identifier of the received data packet to determine whether there is a next IAB node in the routing path for routing the data packet, 
 when a next IAB node is determined, route the data packet to the next IAB node. 
   
     
     
         30 . An apparatus for a donor Central Unit, CU, for managing processing of data packets in an integrated access and backhaul, IAB, network comprising a plurality of IAB nodes, the apparatus comprising:
 at least one processor configured to:
 determine one or more transit paths corresponding to routing paths for routing data packets over the first IAB network and a second IAB network; 
 provide, to at least one IAB node of each transit path of the one or more transit paths, routing configuration information relating to the determined one or more transit paths corresponding to routing paths for routing data packets over at least the at least one IAB node of the first IAB network and at least one IAB node in the second IAB network, wherein the routing configuration information includes information for indicating one or more path identifier values assigned to represent one or more transit path identifiers, each one of the one or more path identifier values representing a respective transmit path identifier identifying a transit path. 
   
     
     
         31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when the program is executed by at least one processor of an integrated access and backhaul, IAB, node of an IAB network comprising a plurality of IAB nodes, cause the at least one processor to:
 receive a data packet including a destination address of a destination IAB node for the data packet and a path identifier identifying a routing path for the data packet to the destination IAB node;   determine, based on the received data packet, whether the routing path of the received data packet includes at least one IAB node of a different IAB network;   in response to determining that the routing path of the received data packet includes at least one IAB node of a different IAB network, use the path identifier of the received data packet to determine whether there is a next IAB node in the routing path for routing the data packet,   when a next IAB node is determined, route the data packet to the next IAB node.